


Discovering feelings (litterarily)

by Gaia_bing



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Coffee Barista Steve, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, M/M, Romance, Science Fiction, Scientist Bucky
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-29
Updated: 2017-05-30
Packaged: 2018-11-06 02:36:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11026821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gaia_bing/pseuds/Gaia_bing
Summary: This is the story of how Bucky Barnes, the top scientist in the "Feelings" department, with the help of his non-scientist friend and daily-caffeine bringer Steve Rogers, pretty much made the emotion that we call:"Love".





	1. Intro

**Author's Note:**

> This is another one-shot I'm working on here. It's in two parts actually, since the first chapter I'm posting is a bit of a teaser of what's to come, to try and test the waters and see what people over here think of this particular idea. 
> 
> The rest will be posted by the end of the week, promise! :)

Someday, in the far, far future...

  
Or is it in the far, far past?

  
Either way, this little tale happened inside a universe where science was everywhere...

  
And by everywhere, we mean **everywhere**.

  
Every notion had a molecule, every feeling had a DNA of some sort,

  
Every idea had a structure waiting to be discovered.

  
And it was up to the top ranking scientists, each team with their own departments, that this world had to offer to find them,

  
To give them a shape, a number or a name, sometimes even invent them from the ground up.

  
And then let them loose, for the rest of the world to see, to learn or even more...

  
Feel them.

  
And this is where our story happened:

  
In the department called: "Feelings",

  
Led by the lead scientist in this particular field:

  
Bucky Barnes.

  
And this is how this Bucky Barnes,

  
With the help of his non-scientist friend and daily caffeine-bringer Steve Rogers,

  
Discovered just how "Love" was made.  
  



	2. It's a matter of "Love"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Exactly what it's says on the tin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just like I promised, the rest of the story. Hope you guys like it! :)
> 
> As an off-note, to anyone who wanted to see Natasha in the story, I originally intended for her to be in there, but it just didn't ended up fitting. Sorry about that...:(
> 
> And as far as how this particular world works? Imagine if "Doodle God" and "Minecraft" had a baby...
> 
> And there you go. :)

"Here you go, Buck! One Americano, no cream and two sugars, just the way you like it!"

  
Bucky Barnes smiled as he saw one of his best friend come through his lab door.

  
"Ah, thanks Steve! I can always count on you to bring me and my team our daily dose of caffeine goodness." he exclaimed as he sat back on his working chair, ready to take a break from his previous work.

  
Steve Rogers, barista of profession, smiled back at one of his favorite client and growingly best friend, as he handed the steaming cup to the long-haired man sitting at his work table and replied:

  
"Well, you're my first delivery for the day, because you looked like you really needed it when I came by to chat last night..."

  
His smiling face turned into a concerned one.

  
"...and you seem to need it even more so this morning. What's going on? Are you okay?"

  
Bucky, after taking a much-needed long sip of coffee, indicated for his friend to sit down, which Steve did, as he grabbed a nearby stool and listened on as Bucky began to explain:

"Well, you know how every year there's the annual _"Best Finding"_ contest at the **Stark Expo**?"

The blond nodded. Of course he knew about it, if all of the coverage in the newspapers and on TV every time the event came around were anything to go by.

"Well, I want our department to win it this year. Our department really needs that grant...and I also think that plaque would look pretty cool on my desk." Bucky admitted sheepishly, making Steve smile.

"But also, I really, **really** wanna rub it in Brock's face." he added. He could still bitterly remember one of his many competing departments' leader, Brock Rumlow, gloating for weeks and weeks on end about how his discovery of "Sex" had opened a floodgate for the biology and media industries.

  
He then pointed at the microscope standing on top of his working table as he hung his head in frustration.

  
"I've been on this damn thing for weeks now. I've been trying to find a cure for _"Loneliness"_ , as a way to help people.

  
I've studied and then dissected _"Hobbies"_ , _"Sociality"_ , _"Alcohol"_ , _"Money"_ , hell even Brock's thing, because even though none of these are feelings, they all seemed to fight _"Loneliness"_   whenever they were matched against one another and I thought that maybe they all had something in common for them to act this way...

  
But no, there's absolutely nothing in common in any of these things!

  
Even worse, after a bit of a fight between them, _"Loneliness"_ always ends up winning no matter what it's up against and all those things? After a while, even when they're not fighting, they always end up dissolving into complete nothingness, just like that!

  
I just feel like...I just feel like I'm running out of options here."

  
_"...how about inventing a brand new thing entirely?"_

  
The made Bucky lift his head and stare at the other man.

  
"What do you mean?" he asked.

  
"It's just that every time that I see you, you're always trying to separate and pull apart everything, trying to pinpoint the one thing that'll make you go _"Eureka!"_ "

  
The long-haired man glared at him.

  
"Sorry, lame attempt at a science joke." Steve apologized, the one now sheepish and Bucky the one now smiling at him. He continued: "And look, I know that this method worked before to create plenty of other stuff, but maybe this time, for your next big thing, you're going to have to try a different one...

  
I mean, how was _"Steam"_ discovered? By putting the particles of _"Water"_ And _"Fire"_ together. And how did they find what a _"Song"_   was? By putting different splices of _"Musical Instruments"_ all in the same vat, with a slight dash of _"Voice"_ and _"Rhymes"_ sprinkled in there.

Maybe the cure you're looking for isn't in anything yet, maybe you're going to have to make it yourself."

  
He blinked a few times and now was the one who hung his head, but in shyness this time around.

  
"But, hell, what do I know? I mean, you're the one with the smarts here, not me." he chuckled out as he scratched the back of his neck.

  
Bucky, listening all the while, felt the motors inside his brain begin to roll.

  
"You know, you may actually be on to something here." he said, seemingly regaining his previously lost confidence.

  
"...I am?" Steve dared to ask.

  
The scientist put a warm hand on Steve's muscled arm and smiled. "Yeah...and maybe the solution to my problem isn't as far of reach as I thought..." he pondered.

  
And then, out of nowhere, he shouted out: " **Come with me!** "

  
With that, Bucky seemingly skipped his way out of his lab.

  
Steve stayed in his spot, unmoving for a second there.

  
" **You really want me to come with you?** " he yelled out at the retreating figure in the hallway.

  
Bucky shouted right back:

  
" **Yeah! Don't you wanna see if what you just told me actually works**?"

  
And this right here was what made Steve get out of his previous stupor, as he jogged his way also out of the lab and yelled out:

  
**"Hey, wait up!"**

  
***********************

  
Somewhere, in one of the main work stations of the department....

  
"Hmm...now if I put a little bit of this, will it...no. If I move that right here, take out this piece and add that...still nothing, fuck..."

  
Steve was standing next to Bucky, watching over his shoulder as the scientist was completely embedded into his work.

  
They were both in matching hazmat suits, Bucky manipulating large recipients, on which Steve could read was noted:

  
\- _"Arousal"_ ,

  
\- _" Joy"_ ,

  
\- " _Contentment"_ ,

  
\- _"Interest"_ ,

  
\- _"Selflessness"_ ,

  
\- _"Gratefulness"..._

  
Among others.

  
"Ah, damnit! It's not use!" Bucky suddenly cursed out loud.

  
"Why? What's going on?" asked Steve.

  
"Well, I thought about what you said and I figured maybe the way to extinguish one negative feeling was by mixing a bunch of positive feelings together and have them duke it out... but nothing's working! I just keep putting in things after things after things and _"Loneliness"_ always ends up fighting back! What the hell am I going to do?" explained Bucky, slumping his entire body against the thick glass separating him and Steve with the toxic elements that the scientist had been experiencing with for the better for the better part of an hour.

  
"Well, have you tried putting in any of **these** guys?" Steve asked as he pointed toward the shelf where all the recipients that weren't being used at the moments were resting on.

  
Bucky gulped slightly as he stared at them.

  
Sure, he'd thought about using them, but...

  
"What if all the negative in these feelings cancels the positive in all of the others?" he asked his friend.

  
Steve, as always, patted him on the shoulder and gave him the courage to do what he'd been afraid to do by simply saying:

  
"Well, only one way to find out, now isn't there?"

  
Bucky shakily smiled and picking the recipients once again, he set up to work.

  
By adding to the previous ingredients the following ones:

  
\- _"Fear"_ ,

  
\- _"Anger"_ ,

  
\- _"Jealousy"_ ,

  
\- _"Sadness"_ ,

  
\- _"Vulnerability"_ ,

  
Once again, among others.

  
And what did this whole melting pot of feelings fare against the robust one called _"Loneliness"_?

  
"It's gone! It's actually completely gone! There's nothing left! And look, I hooked this thing up with _"Hobbies"_...it didn't dissolve and in fact, it's still in there! I can't believe it!"

  
Bucky was now jumping for joy outside the working station, right beside a seemingly shell-shocked Steve.

  
He couldn't believe that one of his own ideas actually ended up working.

 

...maybe he did in fact have some smarts in him after all.

  
Bucky reached out to his friend and cupped his face inside his hands as he joyfully exclaimed: "Oh my god Steve, this is so fantastic! I owe you so much! If you only knew how much I...how much I..."

  
_**...........** _

  
And now both men were in shock, but for a completely reason now.

  
"Did you just put your mouth on mine?" asked the blond-haired man, after a long, uncomfortable moment between the two of them.

  
In a flash, the long-haired man retreated from the barista and quickly tried to explain himself: "I mean...I really, **really** didn't mean to do that...I was just feeling so damn happy and I guess I just got caught into everything, then got a little bit carried away. I mean, really, we can just pretend nothing ever happened and go back to-"

 

 _"-I liked it."_   was what interrupted Bucky in mid-rambling.

  
"You...you did?" pondered the long-haired man in a shaky breath.

  
Steve nodded.

  
Bucky's smile returned to his face.

  
"I liked it too." he confessed.

  
Steve smiled back.

  
"And maybe...maybe I wanna do it again..." he too confessed.

  
Bucky's grin only widened.

  
"Really?"

  
Steve nodded once again and replied:

  
"Really."

  
The scientist took a long look towards the working station as he approached the barista and pondered out loud: "So, do you think what just happened out here had anything to do with what we just did in there?"

  
Now it was Steve's turn to cup Bucky's face inside his hands as he whispered against the other man's lips: "I don't know, but why don't we find out a bit later if it is?"

  
And yes, that thing that they were now once again doing, that they ended up baptizing _"Kissing"_ ,

  
They did in fact later find out that it was a trickle-down effect of the feeling that together, they'd ended up creating...

 

Which they called _"Love"_.

  
Furthermore, this particular breakthrough, led to a **lot** more breakthroughs:

 

Such as _"girlfriend"_ ," _"boyfriend"_ , _"romance"_ , _"marriage"_ , _"passion"_ , _"family"_ , _"relationship"_...

 

All of these had been just the tip of all the changes that brought on this brand new feeling.

 

Heck, there was even a whole holiday invented just for its sake.

  
And so, years later, Bucky Barnes, sipping his daily Americano that he'd gotten from where his amazing husband was now the owner of, looked at his plaque (that he proudly rubbed in Brock Rumlow's face for weeks and weeks on end when he ended up getting it, along with the grant that his department greatly deserved), sitting right next to his equally invaluable wedding photo,

  
And couldn't feel any more _"Love"_ , even if he'd tried.


End file.
